A few thoughts about...Gremlins (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

That's definitely good to hear, thanks for getting a review up so quickly. I was considering dropping by Target after class but was on the fence because of Warner's recent hit-and-miss track record. Ultimately, if the movie looks as intended, without digital tinkering, then I am usually satisfied.

So is the transfer a big enough upgrade from the special edition dvd from 2002 to buy, or should I just stick with watching the dvd upscaled on my blu ray player?? If its a big diffrence, Ill rebuy it.

Tony,

I will wait for others to chime in to answer that question. I
didn't have time to compare the DVD and BD transfers but
I am going to guess that this isn't a major upgrade from the
standard DVD release. There's nothing extraordinary about
this BD transfer other than the fact you do notice the subtle
improvements in image quality due to being on high definition.
Based on the amount of debris in the print I am guessing this
is the same transfer. Even the extras look to be the exact
same as the DVD.

As I said, nothing special here over what the original DVD
probably looked like.

So, they've recreated the dirt and debris from the original theatrical showings? I don't recall any dirt and debris when I saw the film on its opening day, so I don't think it's exactly as it looked back then.

Ron ,you said, subtle improvements do to it being in high definition . That sounds good enough to me!Anyone know, if the upcoming canadian blu of gremlins will be region locked ??? Warners are usually region free, but with Canada, you never know.

Ron ,you said, subtle improvements do to it being in high definition . That sounds good enough to me!Anyone know, if the upcoming canadian blu of gremlins will be region locked ??? Warners are usually region free, but with Canada, you never know.

Oops, double post.

Didn't I read somewhere not too long ago that Joe Dante wasn't too happy with the exising HD transfer of GREMLINS so it was being redone for eventual Blu-ray release? I can't imagine this Target exclusive being this new transfer.

Vincent

Vincent, been reading the same stories.

This can't be a new transfer. It just doesn't look like
something that a lot of effort was put into. I have
been reading that a few people are unhappy with the
grain, but far better to have it there than see Warner
doing any DNR.

For me, the transfer looks good enough. Certainly
better color saturation and more detail brought out
by the high definition format. However, some may opt
to keep their existing DVD copy which would not be
a mistake given the fact that it appears this isn't
a new transfer nor are there any extra added features.

Originally Posted by BillyFeldman

Well if you saw it on a second run screen there might have been plenty of that including dirt and scratches
right up there on the movie screen in the theater..

Let me clarify because I don't know if you guys are pulling
my leg or not.

I watched that film over and over when I managed a movie
theater. Knew that movie inside and out. Have seen it on
VHS, LASERDISC and DVD ever since. I know how this
film is supposed to look. It was never (for lack of a better
word) a "pretty" looking film. It always had the same muddy
look that most of the indoor scenes exhibit. The film had a
grainy look to it so the amount of grain present in this transfer
is not surprising. Glad Warner didn't even dare to remove it.

The debris is another matter. That's not included in my
personal memories of the film. However the fact that it is
obvious in this transfer tells me that it wasn't painstakingly
remastered. Look at many of the early WB DVD transfers
(as well as those from other studios) and you will see lots
of debris in their prints. The early years of DVD were plagued
with studios throwing any transfer they could on a disc and
selling it to the consumer. Of course, these days, the studios
are taking more care into cleaning these prints up.

I think billy was pulling your leg, I was just goofing on Billy.

The original showings probably didn't have any dirt, but there was surely print damage, scratches and other things on some of the reels eventually, somewhere in movie land were it was playing.

I watched a good portion of the movies I saw as a kid in the late 70's early 80's on screens that weren't so nice.
So I saw plenty of stuff on many movies that was actually just on the white screen of the theater.

added to the charm.

I still remember when Me and my buddy stood in line on a friday night waiting to buy a ticket to get in and see gremlins.
Lot's of good memories from that particular theater, tore it down last year.
The chain was Budco and it was the Budco Orleans 4 in northeast Philly.

Ugh. Not a single Target anywhere near me. I hate this exclusivity crap!

I saw this film quite a number of times as a teen. One of my favorites. Of course, having Phoebe Cates in it doesn't hurt.

Amazon canada is getting this on october 13. A full week before the european countries .Does anyone know if Warner in Canada, release their blu ray titles region free, like the USA ??????? I know its only a week diffrence , but I want this title as soon as possible.

Do you live in the U.S., Tony? I don't know whether Warner's Canadian releases are region-free, but Canada and the U.S. are in the same Blu-ray region, so it shouldn't make a difference to U.S. viewers.

I live in Greece, but I have bought blu ray warner discs from amazon USA, and so far they work. I dont know about Warner in Canada, thats why im asking.

Originally Posted by Todd H

Ugh. Not a single Target anywhere near me. I hate this exclusivity crap!

Click to expand...

Even if there were there's no guarantee it'll be in stock. I went out twice this week to two different locations and found it out of stock at both. There are other locations I could try but I value my time too much to trek all over my metropolitan area and since it's not even available on Targets website I'm done with it.

So another brilliant marketing move from Warner, congrats on loosing an easy sale.

Hmmm.... In that case, I think I may just wait for a proper BD w/ new transfer -- and maybe I'll see about finally picking put the DVD at some $3 bargain bin instead (and/or simply renting it again this time on BD at some point). I've waited long enough for a good, problem-free transfer of it -- and actually passed on the DVD a long while back -- so I guess I can wait some more to see a good solid effort on BD (to own) some day instead, especially since the Target exclusive price ain't exactly enticing (even if I have no trouble finding a copy in stock).

Bummers though as I've wanted to own a quality version of this old favorite for a long time now -- well, at least I do finally own a quality-if-moderately-flawed copy of Poltergeist also from that era (on BD) now.

Thanks for the heads-up review and "few thoughts" on this one, Ron...

_Man_

hi all, i'm Joe from hong kong.

could you tell me that is there any chinese subtitle for the Gremlins Blu-ray ? thanks.